Egypt's Shoukry holds talks with Lavrov on Gaza ceasefire

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
10 Jun 2024 15:08

The Egyptian foreign minister engages in discussions with his Russian counterpart, concentrating on the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and ways to establish a permanent ceasefire.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukry hold a meeting ahead of the BRICS Ministerial Meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, June 10. (@mfa_russia/X)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Monday several issues with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, primarily focusing on the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and ways to achieve a permanent ceasefire during a meeting ahead of the BRICS Ministerial Meeting in Nizhny, Novgorod.

During the meeting, Shoukry emphasized efforts being made regarding Egyptian-Qatari mediation to reach a deal that would lead to a prisoner exchange, the delivery of aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and ultimately achieving a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, as per Ahmad Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson and director of Public Diplomacy at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

🇷🇺🇪🇬 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukry hold a meeting ahead of the #BRICS Ministerial

📍 Nizhny Novgorod, June 10#RussiaEgypt pic.twitter.com/S1gw5AdyGU
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) June 10, 2024

Abu Zeid emphasized that the Egyptian foreign minister welcomed the Russian proposal to hold a meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia and the five Arab countries to discuss ways to reach a deal and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, as well as to support the political process and revive the "peace process" as per the relevant international references.

Russia, Egypt call for an end to Sudanese crisis

The Egyptian minister also praised the current Russian presidency of the BRICS group, affirming Egypt's keen interest in "actively participating in the meetings called by the Russian presidency in the group's tracks, through the participation of various Egyptian national entities in the meetings held at the ministerial level and senior officials."

Abu Zeid also pointed out that the ministers also touched on a number of regional issues, foremost among them the developments related to the Ukrainian war and the various ideas and proposals related to ending the conflict, in addition to the latest developments in the Sudan crisis.

Russia and Egypt stressed the importance and necessity of working toward ending the conflict in Sudan and preserving the resources and institutions of the state, as per Abu Zeid.

It is worth mentioning that Shoukry's meeting with Lavrov was held in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign ministers' meetings being held on the 10th and 11th of this month.